The goal of Trash Hero Communities is to address waste prevention and safe circular use of resources at the local level.
TrashHero does this by advocating for and starting community zero waste projects in Asia, usually in areas where our Action & Awareness programme is already running and their volunteers have established trust and credibility.
These projects might be related to improved waste separation and management; reducing plastic usage in commerce and institutions, or preventing waste at local festivals and events. Success requires community education, network-building, engaging with decision-makers and project management.
They provide extensive training to their volunteers so they understand the concept and value of a safe circular economy and the best practices at the local level. They are also able to recognise and expose “false solutions”, such as “waste-to-fuel” or pyrolysis plants, often proposed by the oil or plastics industry, that go against zero waste principles.
In a survey carried out in 2023 with 177 responses, 92% of our volunteers reported increasing their knowledge of plastic pollution, its causes and solutions since joining Trash Hero. 80% said their confidence to talk about these matters had also increased.
All outreach work done by volunteers or staff – presentations, workshops, meetings with government etc. – is reported and assessed. In 2023, 167 such activities and events took place, directly involving 9,029 people and often reaching thousands more (in the case of media appearances, campaigns and networking events). Some highlights include:
Trash Hero Ko Sichang in Thailand coordinated the installation of a drinking water filter system in their local primary school, with reusable cups for each child. They worked with the school administration, local sponsors and other NGOs to provide education and the equipment needed to start. The project, “Drink water, be happy”, will avoid the use of 350+ single-use plastic bottles of water per day.
Trash Hero Kota Kinabalu in Malaysiatook part in a dialogue with the villagers of Pulau Gaya, a small island with no waste management. They covered topics such as waste separation and composting, recyclable and non-recyclable waste, circular economy and sustainable lifestyle. The hope is to create a long term solution to the trash problem on the island.
Trash Hero Larantuka in Indonesia continued their relationship with the Foundation for Social Studies and Development (YPPS), by supporting their menstrual health event to switch to reusable glasses and natural packaging for their food and drinks.
The Trash Hero Communities programme also includes our bottle refill network. Through this network we have distributed 109,828 reusable water bottles, saving 41 million single-use plastic bottles and preventing 2,087 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
